This disclosure relates to a device and a method for supporting electronic equipment in an equipment rack, and more particular, to a portable tool and method for temporary supporting and aligning electronic equipment during installation of the electronic equipment on the equipment rack.
Electronic components or equipment, such as computer equipment, servers, communication equipment, electronic connector strips, patch panels, control panels and the like are typically in the form of black-box or panel type units mounted on an equipment or server rack within a server room or like facility. An equipment or server rack typically comprises a metal frame having vertical posts with a plurality of apertures formed in a front facing wall thereof. Each piece of electronic equipment or panel may include a faceplate having outwardly extending rack securement flanges that extend horizontally across the front facing walls of a pair of the posts, and fastening hardware may be utilized to secure the flanges directly to the posts. Typically, this is accomplished with threaded fasteners that extend through aligned apertures formed in the posts and the flanges.
The Electronic Industries Association (ETA) provides standardized specifications for equipment rack designs which are available in various sizes and designs (i.e., four posts, two posts, various widths, dimensions, etc.). By way of a specific example, the ETA-310-D specification provides standards for a conventional 19 inch equipment rack. For instance, this specification standardizes several important features of 19 inch racks, such as the so-called “Rack Unit” (RU or U), vertical hole spacing, horizontal hole spacing, rack opening and front panel width. The specification also sets tolerances on each of these dimensions.
Vertical hole spacing of the holes provided in a post are typically not entirely uniform and may provide an irregular series of mounting holes in repeating patterns. For instance, the EIA-310-D standards define a repeating pattern of apertures or holes provided on each post of the rack. One Rack Unit (RU or U) has a height of 1.75 inches and spans three vertically-spaced holes such that adjacent ones of the holes in the Rack Unit are spaced apart by ⅝ inch (0.625 inch). Adjacent holes of adjacent Rack Units are spaced apart by only ½ inch (0.5 inch). Thus, the repeating pattern of vertical hole spacing is ½ inch-⅝ inch-⅝ inch-½ inch-⅝ inch-⅝ inch and so on. Of course, this merely provides one example of a vertical hole spacing pattern that may be present on a post of a rack and these patterns may vary depending upon specifications.
Typically, when a technician is provided with the task of mounting electronic equipment or a panel on an equipment rack, it is a task performed by a single person. Thus, the technician is required to steadily support the piece of electronic equipment or panel in one hand in a manner maintaining precise alignment of mounting holes in the faceplate of the electronic equipment with the desired set of holes on the post. While the above referenced alignment is maintained, the technician must utilize his/her single free hand to place a fastener, such as a threaded fastener, on the tip of a screwdriver or like tool and extend the fastener through apertures formed in the mounting flange of the electronic equipment and the post and then secure the fastener to the post. Typically, three additional fasteners must also be applied before the electronic equipment or panel is firmly mounted to the rack with a set of four fasteners, two per post. Of course, more or less fasteners may be required.
Accordingly, the above referenced mounting procedure may require relatively awkward movements and manipulations by a technician to complete the mounting task. The possibility of delays and the potential dropping of equipment, panels, fasteners, tools, or the like are possible.
Thus, a device and method that could free the hand of the technician supporting the electronic equipment or panel in the above process so that both hands of an installer could be used to install fasteners through properly aligned mounting apertures of electronic equipment or panel and metal posts of an equipment rack would be desirable and should enable electronic equipment and panels to be more reliably secured to a post of an equipment rack in a reduced amount of time by a single technician.